Colonization Mayflower Compact, 1620 in 1620, Pilgrims Seeking

Colonization Mayflower Compact, 1620 In 1620, Pilgrims seeking religious freedom travelled from England to the New World aboard the Mayflower. They landed off the coast of Cape Cod well outside the limits of the Virginia Company Charter. As a result, before they left the ship, the men drafted and signed an agreement called the Mayflower Compact. This document was an agreement among the men to create a government. The Mayflower Compact helped establish the idea that the people create government based on consent of the governed. As a result, the Mayflower Compact served as a precedent to the creation of the government for the United States. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, 1639 The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was adopted in 1639 and was the first written constitution in North America. Thomas Hooker was the author of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This document created a “General Court” that had legislative, executive, and judicial authority. It helped to advance the idea of representative government. It provided that all freemen elect their representatives, and it put some limits on government’s power. Consequently, it set the example of a written constitution as the basis for government. Navigation Acts of the 1650’s In the 1650’s, the American colonies were forced to trade with England by a series of acts passed by Parliament known as the Navigation Acts. According to these laws, American colonies were required to trade mainly with Great Britain, buying Britain’s manufactured goods in exchange for the colonists selling them their raw materials. For example, the colonists sold the British lumber and the British sold the colonists furniture made from that lumber. Manufactured goods were more expensive than raw products. As a result, this mercantile trade policy allowed Great Britain to increase its wealth. These acts were not heavily enforced (salutary neglect) by the British until they needed money to pay for the French and Indian War. When they attempted to enforce these acts, colonial unrest increased. Albany Plan of Union of 1754 Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union in 1754. It was the first formal proposal to unite the colonies during the early months of the French and Indian War. The Albany Plan called for each of the colonies to send representatives to a Grand Council in 1 © State Bar of Texas www.texaslre.org Albany, New York. This council would be able to collect taxes, raise armies, make treaties, and start new settlements. It was not viewed as a desire on the part of the colonies to seek independence from England. However, the Articles of Confederation, the plan of government adopted by the colonies after winning independence was similar to Franklin’s plan. Seven colonies attended the Albany Congress and adopted the plan in 1754. However, the Albany Plan was never adopted by the remaining colonial governments who feared it would limit their own authority. Join or Die Cartoon (1754) The “Join or Die” cartoon was the first political cartoon to appear in any newspaper in the colonies. It was published in Benjamin Franklin’s newspaper The Pennsylvania Gazette, and urged the colonists to unite and assist the British during the French and Indian War. The cartoon was a picture of a snake cut into two and based on the superstition that the snake would come to life if the pieces were joined together. The cartoon encouraged the colonies to unite with the message, “Join or Die.” It is one of the earliest examples of a call for colonial unity. Treaty of Paris of 1763 The Treaty of Paris ending the French and Indian War was signed in 1763. The treaty gave land previously held by the French in North America to the British. This included Canada and their land east of the Mississippi excluding Florida which was controlled by Spain. To reward Spain for its help in the French and Indian War, France gave Spain New Orleans and all land west of the Mississippi River. The treaty effectively ended French colonial power in North America. Revolution/Declaration of Independence Proclamation of 1763 Following the French and Indian War, the King of England issued the Proclamation of 1763 to keep the colonists from going west of the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio River Valley. It was issued to keep the peace between the Native Americans and the settlers. This act angered the colonists because they believed that they had the right to settle in the Ohio River Valley. The Proclamation was enforced by British troops, many of whom were quartered in colonists’ homes which increased tension between England and the colonists. Stamp Act of 1765 The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765 to help pay England’s debts for the French and Indian War. The act required all legal and commercial documents to carry an official stamp, showing that the tax had been paid. Documents such as diplomas, 2 © State Bar of Texas www.texaslre.org wills, contracts, newspapers, playing cards, and calendars had to have the stamp. The American colonists felt they were being unfairly taxed without their consent (“no taxation without representation”). Thus, they met at the Stamp Act Congress and organized a boycott until the law was repealed. Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) of 1774 After the Boston Tea Party, Britain was angered by the colonists’ actions, and Parliament passed the Coercive Acts in 1774. These were a series of laws to punish the colonies. The colonists called them the Intolerable Acts because they believed that the laws were too severe. One of the acts closed the port of Boston until the colonists paid for the destroyed tea. Another banned democratic town meetings. The Intolerable Acts also allowed the British to quarter (house) troops in colonists’ homes and let colonists accused of crimes in the colonies stand trial in Britain. In response to the acts, the colonies came together in September 1774, at the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia to mobilize a united resistance to the Crown and these policies. Common Sense, 1776 In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet titled Common Sense. This pamphlet contained a strong attack on the idea of monarchy and argued that it was only “common sense” for the thirteen colonies to separate from Great Britain. Within six months, 500,000 copies had been sold and read by one million people. Paine’s pamphlet convinced many colonists that the time for total independence from Great Britain had come. The American Crisis, 1776 In 1776, during the American Revolution, Paine also wrote a series of pro-revolution essays entitled The American Crisis. George Washington liked the first of Paine’s essays, which began with the words “These are the times that try men’s souls,” so much that he demanded it be read to colonial troops suffering at Valley Forge to strengthen their spirits and resolve to fight. Declaration of Independence, 1776 After much debate and over a year of fighting, colonial delegates to the Second Continental Congress determined that a complete break from Britain was necessary. A committee made up of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson was given the task of drafting the declaration. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Using ideas from English philosopher John Locke, Thomas Jefferson (the primary author) wrote “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” The longest part of the document included twenty-seven specific grievances against the king and Parliament. The most serious or “war crimes” were at 3 © State Bar of Texas www.texaslre.org the end of the list. This document has served as a model for many in their attempts to overthrow an autocratic government. Treaty of Paris 1783 Although the American victory at Yorktown marked the last battle of the American Revolution, it was not until the Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783 (almost 2 years later) that the Americans and the British agreed on the diplomatic terms to end the conflict. The British gave up their rights to all land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River, except for Florida and New Orleans, and recognized the United States of America as an independent nation. Creation of the Constitution Magna Carta, 1215 King John of England signed this document in 1215. The Magna Carta limited the power of the king and stated that not even the king was above the law. It also guaranteed important rights to noblemen and freemen. For example, they could not have their property seized by the king or his officials; they could not be put on trial based only on an official’s word without witnesses; and they could only be punished by a jury of their peers. The Magna Carta influenced many future documents, such as the English Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the U.S. Bill of Rights with these same principles. English Bill of Rights of 1689 The English Bill of Rights was written in 1689. It stated that the power to make laws and impose taxes belonged to Parliament. It also included the right of citizens to petition the government and the right to trial by jury. It influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights which drew upon many of the same ideas. For example, both the English Bill of Rights and the U.S. Bill of Rights protect citizens against excessive bail or fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

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